Attica Resident & Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice

Lived: (January 6, 1824-September 12, 1898)

Biography

Thomas was born in Attica to farmers, where he would attend school and gain an interest in law and literary pursuits,

In 1842 he studied law under U.S. Rep, Theron Strong and in 1843 he moved to Adrian, Michigan and continued to study law.

In 1846 he was admitted to the Michigan bar and married Mary Horton.

He would operate a small legal practice. Thomas would also write poetry criticizing slavery and celebrating the 1848 European revolutions, edit pro-Democratic newspapers, and would found the Michigan branch of the Free Soil Party in 1848.

1854 he ran as a Democrat for district judge of common pleas court in Toledo.

1855 he formed a law partnership with future Republican Governor Charles Croswell.

1856 he became a Republican and was a reporter for the Michigan Supreme Court.

1859 Thomas moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and became one of the University of Michigan Law School's first professors. He would play a major role in the university's development.

1864 Thomas was elected to the Supreme Court of Michigan and would serve as chief justice for 20 years.

1868 he published A Treatise on the Constitutional Limitations Which Rest Upon the Legislative Power of the State of the American Union. It was said to be the best known legal treatise of its time.

1871 he began his long stint as University of Michigan Law School's dean that would last until 1883.

Thomas would consider running for Congress in 1872, but would instead maintain relative political independence. He would be labelled a mugwump and supported democrat Grover Cleveland in 1884 and 1894. His political independence may have cost him an appointment to the US Supreme Court.

1878 Cooley would publish his work titled A Treatise on the law of Torts or the Wrongs Which Arise Independently of Contract.

March, 1880 he published his treatise The General Principles of Constitutional Law in the United States of America.

1885 Thomas would retire from the Michigan Supreme Court.

In 1887 President Cleveland nominated him to the Interstate Commerce Commission and would be its charter chairman.

1893 he was elected President of the American Bar Association

Thomas passed away at the age of 74 in Ann Arbor, Michigan

In 1972 the Thomas M. Cooley Law School of Lansing, Michigan was founded in his name along with Cooley High School in Detroit and Cooley Elementary School in Waterford, Michigan.